How ya goin?

I am back in Auckland where I started my NZ travels. I'm here for two nights before going further north to Paihia and the Bay of Islands, which i'm really looking forward to. This will be the last section of my trip before flying home on 21st December and i'm hoping the weather will be warm and sunny up there so I can spend some time on the beach and in the sea!

I last left you in Queenstown and I was there for another couple of days which turned out to be alot of fun. The morning of the Nevis Arc Swing was awesome. We all checked in to the Queenstown office and piled into a minibus to head to the site. Everyone, except me, was down to do the Bungy - the world's third highest one! - and they were genuinly nervous. I loved the atmosphere and it was alot of fun getting there - also, the sun was out! When we got there our stomachs dropped a little bit when we saw the highly suspended cabins that both the Bungy & the Arc were situated, over a beautiful but daunting canyon with a large, vivid blue stream running through it. I was taken straight to the swing whilst everyone prepared for the Bungy and it was all over so fast! They hoisted me into the 'seat' thing and I suddenly said 'i'm not quite ready for this!' and they said, 'you'll never be ready' - too true! They were kind enough to ask me if I wanted to be released as a surprise or have a count down, so I opted for a 3-2-1 countdown! It was a freefall for a while and felt weird and amazing! Then I swung along and got to appreciated the beautiful canyon and water beneath me - I even had a great view of someone doing the Bungy nearby! My knees were wobbling a bit when they took the seat and harness off me and I asked if I could go and watch everyone do the Bungy. They usually charge people money to be a spectator but they let me go through for free! I got to go right out to the suspended cabin and watched everyone jump! The atmosphere was fantastic and you could feel and see the tension in the air. They played very loud, fast music which really worked as it psyched everyone up. I ended up with numerous cameras dangling off my arm, taking lots of photos. It was a great morning and I decided after being in amongst it all that I WILL do a Bungy Jump next time i'm travelling. If I end up back in NZ it will be the Nevis, if somewhere else, whatever's in a good location! The high that everyone experienced on the way back to Queenstown was infectious and I enjoyed the ride back too!

That night I had my second Fergburger (The Codfather, basically battered cod, salad and an aioli in a big slightly toasted bap - flithy and delicious) and then went out on a 'blindfolded' bar crawl the hostel had organised. It was great fun being blindfolded and led from bar to bar (I took the blindfold off once I was in the bar, even though you weren't supposed to, but everyone did in the end!). There were lots of shots and dancing - a really good night!

I had to say bye to a couple of the friends i'd made in Queenstown but luckily some were continuing on the same bus as me to do the Southern Tip. The day started off badly - the weather had turned bad and the bus was huge and there were more people than seats. A couple of people had just got on the bus without booking themselves and were reluctant to pipe up. When they did they acted like 'whats wrong? I should be on this bus!' Grrrrr it really pissed me off. It was a squashed and crappy journey but luckily I had Mike to keep me company and we are quite similar when it comes to getting annoyed with people - so it was quite funny at times. We headed to Milford Sound, where the weather was even worse! Very wet, very cloudy. Although because of this we got to see literally thousands of waterfalls all in one place on the road there - i'd never seen anything like it before, it was quite beautiful. At Milford Sound we went on a cruise for the afternoon and we all realised that the weather actually made the place incredibly atmospheric, so we appreciated it anyway - how positive of us!

That night we stayed at a place near Milford Sound called Gunn's Camp. This was a genuine experience. We all paid up $25 for this nights accommodation. It was basically huts that the workers who chiselled out a massive tunnell nearby used to live in. They had fireplaces and wood so we could heat them up and loads and loads of sandflys. I had a squishing session in revenge for the facial infection, the little b******s. Amazingly, I didn't get bitten there, which was a relief. That night I had to share a double bed with Nicole, who's from the USA. This is because the way the owners of the place do it is they provide enough beds for everyone, which includes two to a double - so many of us were sharing a double with a stranger. It was quite funny to notice how friends who were travelling together (always female), who've known each other for years, didn't want to share a double bed - I don't want to go into a rant but the European girls out there are so bloody precious. Anyway, myself and Nicole didn't mind and we all managed to sleep fine. Getting up at 5:30 am to leave the place was a bit pants though. It was good to know that Mike had complained to the Managers face to face about how they charged a full price that you would pay for in hostel accommodation, where we all had to be in somewhat abysmal conditions and share beds for a full cost. Go Mike!

That day we headed towards the furthest southern tip of the South Island to Invercargill. Most of the bus were going on the ferry to Stewart Island but myself and others had decided not to, as the ferry was expensive and the weather was so bad that the experience on Stewart Island was not appealing! We stayed in a nice enough hostel in Invercargill and ended up having an hilarious night. Mike taught us to play Fotch, which is very similar to Ring Of Fire. There was a small but lively group of us and it got pretty funny. Especially when playing the "never have I ever" section! Invercargill is a bit of a dead town and the driver said as we were arriving there that it's like going back to the eighties - he was absolutely right! I saw some fabulous mulletts whilst walking around town.

The next day the weather picked up and we drove the coastal road towards Dunedin, our next overnight stop. The road was gorgeous and I really enjoyed seeing beaches and the sea again. We arrived in Dunedin, where myself, Sandy & Nicole had decided we would leave the Stray Bus and hire a car to get up to Christchurch, instead of heading back to Queenstown - backtracking seemed wrong! Dunedin is a very strange town, I didn't really know what to make of it. It's supposed to be based on Edinburgh and Scottish arcitecture but I don't think that's a good idea in NZ. It doesn't fit! Anyway, we found out the actual cost of hiring a car and ended up going up to Christchurch on the Naked Bus! It was a bargain cost and less stressy than the Stray Bus had been previously.

I really liked Christchurch (despite having to trudge around with my now oversized backpack looking for a bed to sleep in!). We found a hostel where they literally had 3 beds left so we were lucky! The day I spent there I got to see an old school friend who lives at Brighton Beach on the outskirts of the city. It was so cool seeing Carina after a few years and I got to see her house and dog. The house was gorgeous and I couldn't believe how idyllic it all was! She took me up for a drive around the hills and I got an excellent view of Christchurch as a whole on the plains below. We also went for a walk to the beach and then back to Christchurch city where we went to the cinema. Overall a great day and I was amazed to hear her say she felt homesick for the first time ever in NZ! I urged her not to because I think her life in NZ is so good! I was a complete pilac and forgot to take my camera with me that day - I saw some fantastic views but they're all in my memory, not my camera!

The next day I was back on the Stray Bus which headed to Kaikora. I was down to do whale watching from the air - in a small aeroplane! I was so excited about it. When I got there to pay for it I was told by the man behind the desk that they hadn't seen any whales that day and were very unlikely to see any soon. This was a hint that I took to decide not to go on the whale watch - because they don't give refunds! Its a good job I didn't because I was starting to feel a little strange already by this point. We went and booked into the hostel in Kaikora and by this time I felt really ill. I ended up with an upset stomach and very painful stomach cramps. All I could do for hours was lie on my bed doubled up with pain - not nice at all. I ended up going to the reception and asking about doctors nearby. A young bloke from behind the desk actually walked me to the doctors (I was hobbling behind him because I felt so weak and in pain) and ended up experiencing my second trip to a surgery in NZ. Brilliant ey?

Thankfully the next day (after just sleeping and lying on my bed in Kaikora) I improved a bit. We all got to the ferry at Picton around midday and headed towards the North Island. That night we stayed in Wellington and I was genuinly happy to walk around the city again - I realised that I really like it there. But I had another early night and the next morning we got up very early for the practical part of the Stray Bus trip - Wellington to Auckland in one day. I pretty much felt completely better in the morning which was great. The drive was long but we stopped in Taupo for 20 minutes to get food and pick up a few people - lo and behold a few people from the previous bus who i'd said bye to in Christchurch were getting on the bus in Taupo - which cheered me up!

Got to Auckland, where i've spent a bit of time - not so sure about it here! But tomorrow morning I head north with Sandy (from previous bus) and we're keeping our fingers crossed for a warmer experience. Tonight I will eat and drink out in Auckland - i've been eating copious amounts of sushi - which I will miss so much when I get home!

When I arrive back in Auckland on the 21st I will be heading straight to the airport for my long long flight home. Therefore I will be entering my final blog at home! That will be so utterly strange - but i'm looking forward to seeing everyone again :-)

Take care, see you soon,

Emily xx